Ceisteanna Parlaiminte

National Broadband Plan

Timmy Dooley

1. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the completion of the tendering process for the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3370/19]

National Broadband Plan

Brian Stanley

2. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress in relation to completion of the tender for the national broadband plan; and if an alternative model, for example, the use of State-owned infrastructure has been given consideration. [3358/19]

Climate Change Adaptation Plans

Timmy Dooley

3. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to address freshwater temperatures in view of increased fish mortality rates in summer 2018. [3369/19]

National Broadband Plan

Mattie McGrath

4. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the current and projected costs for the roll-out of the national broadband plan; the status of the plan; the timeline for completion of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3141/19]

Natural Gas Imports

Mick Wallace

6. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on the growing trend of US multinational involvement in the gas industry across Europe; if he or his Department has had input into the proposed gas terminal on the Shannon Estuary backed by a fund (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3404/19]

Mining Industry

Timmy Dooley

8. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the identification of further unidentified sinkholes in view of the identification of a further sinkhole on a site (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3367/19]

Food Waste

Joe Carey

9. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps that can be taken to reduce food waste, particularly in supermarkets. [3187/19]

Electric Vehicles

Brian Stanley

10. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the policy initiatives that have been developed in terms of expanding and the future ownership of the public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. [3353/19]

Energy Prices

Brian Stanley

11. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if consideration has been given to providing a policy direction to the energy regulator to investigate the increasing price of household energy bills in view of the fact that under the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 he has the power to issue a policy direction to the regulator. [3354/19]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Eamon Ryan

12. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the tendering process for the national broadband plan. [3265/19]

Illegal Dumping

John Curran

13. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the new initiatives and projects planned for 2019 to combat illegal dumping; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3171/19]

Television Licence Fee

Brian Stanley

14. Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if consideration has been given to the expenditure of the licence fee by RTÉ; and if legislative change has been considered in order to establish a greater level of accountability in the expenditure of the licence fee. (details supplied) [3357/19]

National Broadband Plan Implementation

Timmy Dooley

17. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the estimated cost of the roll-out of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3365/19]

Electric Vehicles

Martin Heydon

18. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to address range anxiety and to develop a network of EV chargers nationwide which would support 500,000 EVs. [3177/19]

Town and Village Renewal Scheme

Dara Calleary

1. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the timetable for the roll-out of the town and village renewal scheme in 2019 in terms of the applications process; when project funding approvals will issue; and the timetable for implementation of the scheme to encourage residential occupancy in rural towns and villages as committed to in the Action Plan for Rural Development. [3395/19]

Brexit Issues

Martin Kenny

2. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the preparations or contingency planning being carried out to address a no-deal Brexit for rural communities especially in the Border region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3142/19]

Disadvantaged Areas Scheme

John Curran

3. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding that has gone to projects in the most disadvantaged communities previously known as RAPID areas since the amalgamation the RAPID and the community facilities schemes into the new community enhancement programme with regard to the recently announced funding allocation for 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3396/19]

Tidy Towns Committees Funding

John Curran

8. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if consideration will be given to establishing a specific funding grants scheme under the community enhancement programme to support groups (details supplied) nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2897/19]

Social Isolation

James Browne

9. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the actions he will take to combat rural and urban isolation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2918/19]

CLÁR Programme

Niamh Smyth

10. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development when the next round of CLÁR funding will be announced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3002/19]

LEADER Programmes Expenditure

Dara Calleary

11. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the amount spent to date under the present LEADER programme on projects; the amount spent in 2018 on projects by local action groups, LAGs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3029/19]

Tidy Towns Committees Funding

Pat Deering

12. Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to allocate funding in 2019 to a committee (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2995/19]

Departmental Schemes

Martin Kenny

13. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the reason only €4 million was allocated to the community enhancement programme for 2019 in view of the fact that €13 million was spent on the programme in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3032/19]

LEADER Programmes Funding

Joe Carey

14. Deputy Joe Carey asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the expenditure outturn in 2018 under the CLÁR programme; when he plans to invite applications for funding under the 2019 programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2984/19]

LEADER Programmes Funding

Brendan Smith

15. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the funding allocated for the 2014 to 2020 LEADER programme; the expenditure to date; if he is satisfied that the total funding will be drawn down by the end date for the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2977/19]

LEADER Programmes Funding

Thomas Byrne

16. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the level of funding committed to date under the 2014 to 2020 LEADER programme in County Meath; and the drawdown of funding to date by project in County Meath. [2998/19]

Seniors Alert Scheme

Peter Burke

17. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of expenditure in 2018 under the seniors alert scheme; the number of persons assisted under the scheme; the estimated allocation he will make under the scheme in 2019; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2920/19]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Brendan Howlin

1. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee G, justice and equality, last met; and when it will next meet. [53037/18]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Joan Burton

2. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee G, justice and equality, last met, and when it will next meet. [1704/19]

Cabinet Committee Meetings

Mary Lou McDonald

3. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach when Cabinet committee G, justice and equality, last met; and when it is scheduled to meet again. [1706/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Joan Burton

4. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his discussions with the German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel, in January 2019. [1357/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Richard Boyd Barrett

5. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent telephone call with Chancellor Merkel. [1384/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Mary Lou McDonald

6. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent conversation with Chancellor Merkel. [2491/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Brendan Howlin

7. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent discussions with Chancellor Merkel. [2544/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Eamon Ryan

8. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent telephone call with the German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel. [2737/19]

Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements

Micheál Martin

9. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has spoken to or met the German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel, since the vote in the House of Commons on the withdrawal treaty was defeated. [3041/19]

Departmental Expenditure

Joan Burton

10. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Taoiseach the amount his Department spent on communications and advertising in 2018; the way in which this compares with the years 2011 to 2017, inclusive; and the proposed spending for 2019. [1359/19]

Departmental Expenditure

Brendan Howlin

11. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Taoiseach if he will report on the proposed spending in 2019 by his Department on communications. [2545/19]

Brexit Negotiations

Thomas Byrne

27. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he will report on preparedness for a no-deal scenario in Brexit negotiations in his Department. [2981/19]

Special Educational Needs Staff

Kathleen Funchion

28. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills if consideration will be given to working with the Teaching Council to propose a specific special education teacher category to register with the council in view of the increasing number of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units being established in primary schools nationally and the increase in the number of children being diagnosed with autism nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2765/19]

School Staff

Thomas Byrne

29. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills when talks will commence with representatives of school secretaries as recommended by the Workplace Relations Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3026/19]

Junior Cycle Reform

Kathleen Funchion

30. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the proposal to remove history and geography from the core curriculum at junior cycle is a progressive development for future generations of schoolchildren; the type of consultation that has taken place in the development of this proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2766/19]

Schools Building Projects

Joan Burton

31. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Education and Skills the location and size of the site for a school (details supplied); when works will commence on the site; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2755/19]

School Services Staff

Kathleen Funchion

32. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Education and Skills his views on whether the working conditions and pay of school secretaries should reflect the work they do in view of the role they play in the running of schools; his plans to support the improvement of working conditions for school secretaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2767/19]

School Accommodation Provision

Thomas Byrne

33. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide more post-primary spaces in Dunshaughlin, County Meath and primary places in Ashbourne, County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2722/19]

Apprenticeship Data

Fiona O'Loughlin

34. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the status of his plans to improve the participation of women in apprenticeships; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2732/19]

Schools Building Projects Status

Martin Heydon

35. Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Education and Skills to outline the status of and progress on the new school building planned for a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2744/19]

Scoileanna Gaeltachta

Catherine Connolly

36. D'fhiafraigh Deputy Catherine Connolly den Aire Oideachais agus Scileanna céard é stádas an phróisis chun aitheantas mar scoil Ghaeltachta a bhaint amach; cén líon scoileanna breise a chuir iarratas isteach chuig an aonad um oideachas Gaeltachta sa Roinn roimh an 1 Meitheamh 2018; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [2664/19]

English Language Training Organisations

Fiona O'Loughlin

37. Deputy Fiona O'Loughlin asked the Minister for Education and Skills the position with regard to the provision of mediation for English language school teachers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2731/19]

Defence Forces Remuneration

Jack Chambers

1. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if Defence Forces management will be engaging directly with the Public Service Pay Commission in relation to recruitment and retention issues; if it is planned to filter engagement via his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2190/19]